Mariners notebook: Nelson Cruz survives a scare; a pet project for Edgar Martinez
Jun 23, 2015, 7:24 PM | Updated: Jun 24, 2015, 9:56 am
M's slugger Nelson Cruz left Monday's game with a pelvis injury, but he was back in the lineup Tuesday. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports
A welcome sight in the lineup Tuesday is Nelson Cruz, who’s right back in there after being lifted from the game Monday night with what initially was called a tight hamstring.
“I was surprised,” said Cruz, who believed at the time of his injury that he may have been hurt seriously. “I thought it was real bad but thank God it was something that could get fixed real quick.”
An adjustment from the team’s doctor of osteopathy was all it took to relieve the pain.
“They figured out later it was my pelvis, it was out of place. They put it in place and it felt normal,” Cruz said.
Cruz had felt a twinge early in the game but then knew something was wrong when he chased after a ball hit by Jarrod Dyson in the seventh inning. He left the game and was replaced in the lineup by Dustin Ackley. Tonight he is right back in there, but at DH, a position manager Lloyd McClendon will probably keep him at for at least a few days.
“We’ll probably keep him off his feet for a while,” McClendon said.
A project for Edgar
In addition to working with all of the hitters, McClendon is hoping that Edgar Martinez will pay special attention to Mike Zunino and make him a project of sorts.
Hitting .155 entering Tuesday’s game, Zunino is nowhere near where the Mariners want him to be offensively, and after making what McClendon thought was progress, he’s regressed. The conversation about Zunino can be heard here.
Lineup!
Logan Morrison, 1B
Austin Jackson, CF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Kyle Seager, 3B
Seth Smith, RF
Dustin Ackley, LF
Brad Miller, SS
Mike Zunino, C
Mike Montgomery, LHP
Note
• James Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma are not the only Mariners pitchers on the mend. Danny Hultzen, who was shut down with shoulder fatigue last month, is up and throwing again. He has thrown a number of bullpens and is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Friday. If all goes well in the sim game he should be ready to pitch in a game, most likely in rookie ball in Arizona.
